Musings on time spent with three four-legged animals, fibers, wooden and metal sticks, and books in a Shaker building on a mountainside.

Friday, October 13, 2006

How did it happen?

The incident is so vivid in my memory, I didn't think to explain how it happened or that it wouldn't be apparent to my readers. Rachel pointed this out, so let me clarify:

Cassidy, a 50 lb. mutt with what I think must be some terrier in her, got into the sheep pasture that is spitting distance from our home. She went into the barn, thru the screen door that is not attached to the doorway - it's propped up against the opening - and down the ramp. It had been a windy day and I had forgotten that the door wasn't attached to the doorway.

Cass chased the sheep, and the sheep ran into the pond to get away. The first row boat I hopped in quickly took on water, so I dragged out the second one, which delayed the possible rescue. The two of them swam around until the sheep very quickly became exhausted.

It's the thrill of the chase for Cass. And sheep aren't very smart. We didn't have this problem with the cattle or horses on the ranch.

My home, the sheep, the pasture, the pond, the barn, and the leaky rowboat are owned by my employer. You can imagine the pluses and minuses of those details. The Boss is away, but the under-bosses know; burying a sheep carcass is not a one person job.

13 comments:

Oh Shelagh, they have to secure the whole place a little better. If it hadn't of been Cassidy, it could have been wolves or coyotes, or free ranging domestic dogs. I know that out in the country people are cavalier about keeping dogs tied or otherwise restrained. I'm sorry that it was Cassidy, but really, they need to improve the security on their sheep enclosure.

What a crappy time for you. Hang in there. And just delete all those bloglines. You can always peck away at archives as you see fit.

I'm so sorry, I know how shocking it can be to see a beloved pet act, well, like an animal. He was just being a dog, and, yes, if the sheeps' pen was that easy for a domestic animal to get into, just think what a hungry bunch of wolves or coyotes could have done?I hope your employers are understanding Don't be too hard on the pup, he didn't know.

oh my...i don't know what i would've done in that situation.wouldn't eating the sheep be easier than burying it? just sayin'...tough situation. :(hopefully, everything will work out. good luck with that!

Oh, how stressful! I hope everything works out. I don't believe that this happened as a result of anything you did or did not do... It's just doggy nature to like to chase things! Hopefully your boss will understand.